KUALA LUMPUR: ALL acid-attack victim Faisal Halim wants is to play football again. The dream is to see him recover from his injuries and emotional scars and become Malaysia's greatest-ever footballer.
It would be the perfect Malaysian story if he does come back.
The inhumane acid attack on Faisal, popularly known as Mickey, on May 5 has robbed him of greater things in football, especially after scoring the Goal of the Tournament during the Asian Cup in Doha.
Indirectly, the incident affected, in some way, Malaysia's World Cup qualifying campaign, where it ended in the second stage.
The Selangor winger is no Lionel Messi but definitely a footballer with huge talent.
It was heartbreaking to see tears rolling down his cheeks during the press conference, his first public appearance since the acid attack, on Thursday.
One could see in his eyes that he just wants to play football and enjoy the game again, not get involved in the politics of it.
No human would want to scar another with acid.
Nobody knows what the motive was, but let's wait for the police to investigate and punish the perpetrator or perpetrators.
"I'm not arrogant. I'm friendly with everyone, no matter the person's status.
"I'm not sure whether I have enemies or not because I have never troubled anyone," an emotional Faisal told reporters, some of whom even teared up listening to Mickey's story.
The acid attack has deeply affected Mickey.
Understandably, Faisal, with scars visible on his left arm, face, and head, hardly smiled during the press conference.
Faisal is a broken man, but he still has the fire in him to continue and play without fear.
Revealing that he is "right now kept in a secret hideout" with his family, Faisal expressed hope that "I can soon be free and no need to hide."
He hopes to return to light training soon.
The footballer also hopes that his assailants will be brought to justice swiftly.
However, apart from tighter security, what else is being done to protect footballers in the country?
Faisal's acid-attack ordeal has grabbed international attention, painting a negative image of the game in the country.
Basically, Faisal's case has left a black eye on Malaysian football.
The acid attack has not only scarred Faisal, but has also scarred Malaysian football in a big way.
So, what is being done to deal with this menace?
The Super League was scheduled to begin on May 10 with a curtain-raiser between Selangor and Super League champions Johor Darul Ta'zim.
Selangor pulled out, citing "a series of criminal incidents and recent threats" after their appeal to the Malaysian Football League (MFL) to postpone the Charity Shield game was not granted.
Whatever the issues behind the scenes, MFL should have granted Selangor's request as this was not a regular case.
MFL definitely has provisions in its league regulations, giving prerogative to postpone any match, but sadly, it was not used.
Every football fan would agree with this scribe, but sadly those who have never played football at the highest level are making decisions in Malaysia.
Footballers are the main stakeholders, not pawns, of the sport. Without them, there would be no Harimau Malaya and no M-League.
Maybe, it is time for the "pawns" (footballers) to voice out their displeasure and have more say in the governance of Malaysian football through former players.
As for Faisal, this scribe hopes he will not lose hope, come back stronger, silence his critics, and become a Malaysian legend.
Ajitpal Singh is the Sports Editor of NST and a hardcore fan of the Red Giants
